Man City (A) Pre match

[jayfox26]

3 minutes ago, TK95 said:

The meltdown from Rodri if we sh**house anything out of this game 

Makes me laugh how he bangs on about how Man C/Spain play football the right way and slates 'inferior' teams yet he's the master of the dark art tactical foul and so Man C as a whole and always have been starting back with Fernandinho. Yeh we'll play lovely football but of any team dare take the ball off us and try breaking them I'll just have to snap you. Fecking hypocrite! 

[Daggers]

6 minutes ago, TK95 said:

The meltdown from Rodri if we sh**house anything out of this game 

 

[Clever Fox]

Any chance Terry could put on the Boots and play in this one.

Just his experience in there would be a big plus.

[urban.spaceman]

We will shithouse a win and I'm not just saying that for rep points.

[norwichfox]

I'll take a 1-1 draw for this...

[Daggers]

4 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

We will shithouse a win and I'm not just saying that for rep points.

This happens and I’m streaking around our village

Edited 11 April 2023 by Daggers
Autocorrect is a prude

[TeaMen Tom]

Start Cags in a back 3. It's a chance to find out if you can get anything out of him the rest of the way.  

[Gazza M]

I think 4 at the back against Man City is asking for trouble. We have plenty of CB options so I would go back 3 and maybe bypass the midfield a bit and play direct on the counter in 3-4-3 with Ricardo and Viktor K as Wing backs. 

[EnglishOxide]

8 minutes ago, Gazza M said:

I think 4 at the back against Man City is asking for trouble. We have plenty of CB options so I would go back 3 and maybe bypass the midfield a bit and play direct on the counter in 3-4-3 with Ricardo and Viktor K as Wing backs. 

 

--------------------------Iversen-------------------------

-----------Faes-----Souttar-----Soyuncu--------

Ricardo-----Mendy-----KDH----Kristiansen

-------------------------Maddison----------------------

------------------Nacho--------Daka------------------

[Ric Flair]

Dean Smith is a staunch back 4 man. Without Barnes though and our strikers in heinous nick on their own, we surely have to consider it.

[st albans fox]

I think smith will look at this game and be pragmatic 

our GD is currently worth a point against Everton and potentially Leeds too (forest are irrelevant on this metric) 

We can hope for a point on Saturday …..I can’t see that we’ll risk coming out of the game feeling that we’ve effective lost a point from where we began the day by getting a hammering. 

if that wasn’t a consideration then perhaps we would go v positive 

the approach will probably be to be in a low block together and try to hold out as long as possible (sounds like rodgers).  He can spin being in the game after 75 mins as being a positive to the players ahead of wolves.  Getting tonked 6-1 would be difficult for smith. 

[Beachyboy]

7 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

We will shithouse a win and I'm not just saying that for rep points.

If Scotland can best Spain anything is possible after a one off game, how many teams have we beat these in the last 7 years?I checked out of curiosity it's 5 times.

Edited 11 April 2023 by Beachyboy

[SK3Blue]

Writing this one off unless De Bruyne. Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland all pick up knocks v Bayern!

[LVFox]

I'd be very surprised if Smith went anything other than 4-3-3/4-2-3-1.

 

He tried 5 at the back when Villa first came up and they got battered by Man City.

 

The following year, he stuck to his more trusted formations and they lost narrowly on both occasions. He has a poor record against them so I don't expect anything at all from this.

 

I think he will go:

 

                        Iversen

Castagne Souttar Evans Kristiansen 

                    Ndidi   KDH 

 Ricardo.           Praet.         Maddison

                           Vardy

[Nick]

 

............IVERSON & WARD

 

RICARDO SOUTTAR KRISTENSON CASTAGNE

 

.........................NDIDI

 

TETE...........   .......................MADDISSON 

 

    ............ NACHO VARDY 

[RowlattsFox]

Iversen

 

Ricardo

Souttar

Faes

Kristiansen

 

Ndidi

Mendy

Dewsbury-Hall 

 

Maddison

Daka

Barnes 

 

I would play Iheanacho, but I reckon Barnes and Daka pace is the only way we get up the pitch. The dreaded Mendy/Ndidi partnership but we can't trust KDH in a 2 against these. 

[LeePhilpottsBaldSpot]

Iversen

Pereira Faes Souttar Soyuncu Castagne

Praet Mendy Ndidi

Maddison

Iheanacho

[OntarioFox]

There's a lot of talk of going balls-out for this one and trying to outscore them, but I can understand the caution that may need to be displayed.

 

Forest sat above us in the relegation spots by virtue of their -30GD should be a reminder to not get too carried away. Ours is, somehow, still a respectable -12, which could prove to be the edge against Everton and Leeds in particular, who aren't that far behind (-15 and -20 respectively). West Ham are level with us. If we go stupid and lose by a cricket score, that edge could go out the window.

 

I want to see us defend properly and play on the break like old times. I won't begrudge us playing for damage limitation if we go two behind.

[Tomlcfc133]

No reason why we can’t get something. It’s that kind of dismissive attitude from the midget man that’s made us lose all kind of confidence 

[st albans fox]

I wouldn’t start madders

His knee needs a rest and it’s not going to be a game where he can impose himself - he’ll just be chasing after rodri and gundogan. 
 

bring him on for last 20 if there’s a possibility of getting something with a goal. 

[st albans fox]

5 hours ago, SK3Blue said:

Writing this one off unless De Bruyne. Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland all pick up knocks v Bayern!

In which case they’ll just play foden, silva, Alvarez and some kid no one has heard of who turns out to be zidane ! 

[AKCJ]

Iversen

Ricardo Souttar Faes Kristiansen

Praet Mendy Ndidi Barnes

Maddison

Iheanacho

 

Basic plan has to be to sit right in and break on the counter. Iheanacho has to play because he's the only attacker we have that can hold the ball up front. I think Praet deserves a chance. Maybe Maddison to fall in on the right hand side to make a 4-5-1 out of posession. 

 

Kristiansen is one that i'm undecided on. I think the lad is right off it and Mahrez will almost definitely be playing. Worried that he will lose his head.

 

Tielemans on the bench and to come on for 25 minutes if he can and if the game is in the balance - which it likely won't be.

 

Soumare simply cannot play in this one. If he does then we lose by 7 or 8.

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

If we do get something, it will be a bonus. 

 

My worry is Everton, Southampton and Wolves all have games I see them getting something out of. 

 

And that is going to be our problem for the rest fo the season. Despite what that parasite said, is no longer in our hands and every inch matters. 

 

 

[Jack1993]

3 hours ago, Tomlcfc133 said:

No reason why we can’t get something. It’s that kind of dismissive attitude from the midget man that’s made us lose all kind of confidence 

Jesus, this resonated with me when I was skimming through just now. Every year no matter how good or bad we've been I've always felt we are capable of getting something from a singular game. The last few weeks or so I've completely written this game off as if it didn't even exist and I genuinely think it's down to Brendan telling me how bad we are all season, he really has stunk the club out. 

 

The most annoying thing is, the first time he said something along the lines of "We'll do well to get 40 points" it was just to save his own arse after bizarre decisions leading to a bad start. Brendan has killed all belief that I'm hoping Dean can resurrect, we are bloody good enough! 

 

Sorry to use your post for my rant but as I read it I thought "That's a bloody good point" - I realise I could've just liked it 

[Old Fox]

7 hours ago, Gazza M said:

I think 4 at the back against Man City is asking for trouble. We have plenty of CB options so I would go back 3 and maybe bypass the midfield a bit and play direct on the counter in 3-4-3 with Ricardo and Viktor K as Wing backs. 

How about 8-1-1 and pray !!